Collingwood’s Power Finish

ADELAIDE 3.1 4.5 6.10 6.13 (49)
COLLINGWOOD 3.2 5.6 5.10 10.15 (75)

Collingwood recorded a five goal to none final term to defeat Adelaide by 26 points. The game was not one for highlights, but instead was marked by power contested football, returning to one-on-ones and strength.

With light rain falling sporadically at AAMI Stadium, it made a slickness of the ball to add intrigue to two sides who are typically very clean in possession.

As a result, it became a match of the stoppage, with momentum drifting between both teams but neither able to truly put it on the board.

The key moment as a result was in fact a centre square infringement by Adelaide late in the third term.

The previous ten minutes had been dominated by the Crows, and they held a seven-point lead. The infringement only lead to a behind by Darren Jolly, but it gave Collingwood a renewed want for the contest that they lacked to that point.

Goalkicking was not a feature until the final term, with Collingwood forwards Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes going goalless, and Adelaide big man Kurt Tippett scoring two goals four.

The game in particular was not good for Dawes or Cloke, who both struggled to get involved.

However, the defensive efforts also contributed to this ineptness. Both Daniel Talia and Harry O’Brien had critical games with their skills. Talia provided a contest every time he went near the ball, spoiling and intercepting away, while O’Brien’s run out of defence was critical to Collingwood’s switch play.

Collingwood will be sweating on a knee injury to Lachlan Keeffe, which further damages Collingwood’s already weakened defence, but will be thankful that his injury did not damage the side entering the last quarter, as they managed to hold the Crows goalless in the final term.